A Former Thief's Holiday
by Lucy in the Sky with Dimonds
Summary: For Flynn Rider, Christmas meant hiding from society like every other day. But this year, Eugene is spending it with the one person he loves most of all. And Rapunzel's first Christmas isn't going to be a boring one...
1. Chapter 1

"And as you can see by this diagram, the salad utensil would be located just…"

I let out a snore.

"MR. FITZHERBERT!" my etiquette tutor yelled at me. I woke up with a start and sat bolt upright in my chair.

"What did I do?" I asked, confused and sleepy.

"Mr. Fitzherbert, this is the third time this week that you've falling asleep in class," she told me sternly.

I let out a yawn. "Then it's not much of a surprise, is it?" I said sarcastically. She shot me a look.

"I believe we're finished for today," the tutor said, gathering up her supplies. I shrugged and got up from the cushioned chair I was sitting on.

"I will be visiting with family for the next three weeks; therefore your lessons shall be postponed until January," she yelled to me as I left the palace's huge library. As I walked down the long hallway, I looked out one of the clear windows. The early winter snow was falling heavily outside and was covering the ground in blankets.

I took a left, and spotted a bouncing brunette running towards me. Rapunzel was smiling wide, and was looking pretty excited. Her long green dress trailed behind her as she sprinted in my direction, wearing no shoes as always.

"Eugene!" she yelled, jumping on me in a tight hug. I was thrown back and almost fell.

"Whoa, slow down Blondie." I said stumbling backwards. "What's going on?"

She got off of me and crossed her arms, smirking at me, "First things first: why are you out of class so early?"

I dug my hands into my pockets and pretended to look innocent. "I don't know…"

"Eugene, you didn't fall asleep again, did you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh, maybe…" I said. She laughed.

"I'm not surprised. Honestly, those classes aren't much fun for me either," she said as we walked down the hallways leading to the entrance hall.

"Well, we've got a good three weeks before we have to go back. Anyway, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked as we turned left into a large corridor.

"Oh yeah, I wanted to show you something," she said, grabbing my hand. She pulled me to the mahogany doors that lead to the main room of the palace. As we stepped through them and they shut behind us, I realized what she was curious about. People were running through the palace with trees, wreaths, and poinsettias. The palace was frantically preparing for the Christmas holiday that was only three weeks away. Maids were dusting and polishing every surface in the room while decorators maneuvered around them, hanging tinsel and garlands. It was a pretty chaotic scene.

"What's going on around here?" she inquired. "Oh, I'm sorry!" A maid ran into her and dropped a few ornaments on the ground, and thankfully they hadn't been broken. Rapunzel bent down to help her pick them up.

I took a large box of candles from a decorator and helped carry it over to a table. "They're decorating for Christmas," I told her. Seeing that more people were starting to come in and the crowd was growing, we exited into the lounge.

"Hmm…what's that?" she asked, as she sat down on a couch that stood in front of the fireplace. My mouth dropped open, but I shut it pretty quickly. After all of the lies she has told her, Gothel must have kept that from her too.

"Well… it's kind of hard to explain," I said, taking a seat next to her.

She rested her head against my shoulder as we watched the fire gleam in the marble fireplace. The stockings that were hung on the fireplace had each of our names stitched on it in gold. A pine tree stood undecorated in the corner of the room, still waiting for a decorator to tend to its barren branches. The beige walls were also untended to.

"What is the holiday in celebration of?" she asked, stretching out her legs on the couch.

"In Christian terms, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ."

"What do you do?"

"Well, every year, friends and family come together and celebrate with each other. They drink hot coca, decorate Christmas trees, and give each other presents."

"Why? What did Jesus do?" she asked, looking at me and tilting her head.

"Well, the story says that Jesus was born in a manger on December 25. He died on a cross to save us, and expected nothing in return. I guess that's why we give each other gifts, to show our appreciation for the person out of the goodness of our heart and to spread the joy of the holiday and not expect anything in return," I answered.

"Why do we do all of those other things; like decorating trees and drinking coca?" Rapunzel asked, sitting up.

"Well most traditions were started by us over time. They are just our way of showing joy in the holiday," I said, yawning.

"I still don't understand," she said, looking disappointed.

"Surprisingly, a lot of people still don't." I saw that she did still look confused. "Tell you what, how about tomorrow we go into the kingdom so you can see what the Christmas celebrations are like first hand."

A smile formed on her lips, brightening up her whole face. Yup, tomorrow was going to be interesting all right.  
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Next Morning~~~~~~~~~~~~~<p>

"Eugene, rise and shine!" Rapunzel said, shaking me awake.

"Just one more minute…" I mumbled, pulling the red covers further over my face.

"Alright, but you made me," she said.

"What are you…?" I started. Suddenly, Rapunzel pushed her feet against my ribs, pushing me off of the bed and onto the wooden floor.

"Hey!" I said, lifting myself off of the ground and looking at her. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Come on Eugene! You said you'd take me into the village today."

"I did, didn't I?" I asked. She nodded and I exhaled. I might as well get up then, I thought to myself. After seven months of dating, I've yet to win one argument against Rapunzel.

"Alright, meet me in the front entrance in ten minutes," I said. She smiled and ran out of the room so I could get changed. Twenty minutes later, I stood in the grand entrance in multiple layers of clothing, waiting. The room was much less chaotic than yesterday, and much more joyful. Garlands were strung around the rails of the grand staircase, on the walls, and up the colossal columns. Festive wreaths were hung on every door and two medium trees, decorated with red and gold bulbs, stood at the base of the staircase.

Rapunzel walked down the stairs with a smile on her face that brightened up the whole room. Her long dress was covered by a purple shawl and her short brown hair was covered by a white hat. Her green eyes gazed about the room, taking in the beautiful sight before her.

"Wow…" she said before finally realizing that I was standing there. She composed her face; however the wonder was still visible in her eyes. I suppressed a laugh.

"What?" she asked. "It's beautiful."

"I know Blondie. Why don't we head out? Or do you want to stare at the walls some more?"

She rolled her eyes and approached the door. "Alright, let's go." She said. I followed her out the door. It was no longer snowing heavily outside; however several feet of the stuff still covered the ground. As we trudged through it to the stables, Maximus, who was eating hay at the time, looked up from his food and saw us coming in. He neighed happily; Rapunzel walked over and patted his snout.

"Hey Max," I said. "So, are you riding with me or Blondie today?"

He looked at me with a deadpan expression, as if to say "What do you think?" I smirked. Max and I had really grown on each other in the past few months, and we made a great team, but when put against Rapunzel's animal-loving nature, I might as well have asked if he had quit eating apples.

"Sorry Maximus. I think I'm gonna ride with Aggie today. I hope you don't mind," she said, scratching Max behind his ears. Aggie was a newer horse that Rapunzel had been taking care of when we visited Max. She walked over to Aggie's pen and opened the gate. She neighed happily as Rapunzel greeted her.

As Rapunzel was putting a saddle on Aggie, I gave Max a grin. "It looks like you're stuck with me this time Max," I said opening the gate. Max rolled his eyes as I grabbed his saddle off the hook. "Come on, I'm not that bad," I told him, hooking up the settle. Max gave me a look saying "Do you really want me to respond to that statement?"

After the horses were situated, Rapunzel and I hopped on Aggie and Max and started off towards town. "So Rapunzel, are we taking the scenic route or are you up for a little race?" I asked challengingly.

Rapunzel looked at me and gave me a gentle smile. "Why don't we just go slow today, take in our surroundings?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you serious?" I asked.

She winked at me and laughed. "Nope," she said. She whipped the reins and Aggie took off.

I chuckled, expecting that that would happen. "Come on Max. Let's show these girls who the fastest in the kingdom are," I said, and we took off after them.

As we rode into town, it was apparent that the holiday season was already in full swing. The festive villagers had taken pride in spreading the joy of Christmas through decorations and the people themselves. The small children had their noses pressed against shop windows, eagerly longing for the toys and gifts that were arranged on the other side, only to tear their faces away to gaze at the carolers whose voices belted out the notes of various Christmas songs. Shops and businesses were also in the spirit too; decorating their stands with garland and cranberries, and selling various holiday treats such as candy canes and fruit cakes. As anticipated, the large tree that stood in towns square was decorated with bright ornaments and wax candles, which would be lit on during the Holiday Ceremony that took place every Christmas Eve.

Rapunzel and I hopped off our horses. She was bouncing with excitement, and frantically looking around. I could tell that she was eager to get in the action. "What do you want to see first, Blondie?" I asked.

"Let's go look at the singers Eugene! They sound beautiful," she exclaimed, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the front of the crowd. The carolers were singing the melody to 'Deck the Halls'. Rapunzel picked up on the tune rather quickly and started humming along. After listening to 'Silent Night' and 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town', we decided to go look into the shops.

"So, you get gifts for people on Christmas?" she asked me, as we looked through some books in the library.

"Yeah; sometimes you buy the gifts for people, but in my opinion, gifts that are made by hand are way better," I responded, flicking absentmindedly through the pages of an Astronomy book. I put it down, and Rapunzel walked up to me with a slim book in her hand.

"Hey, look what I found." She said, showing me a copy of The Night Before Christmas. It was an old copy. I remembered reading one like it in the orphanage when I was younger.

"Isn't this the man that that song was about?" she asked, pointing to the large bearded man in red that was bending over the presents on the cover.

"Yup; that's Santa Claus. He gives the good boys and girls presents on Christmas," I said, picking up another book; this time about gems.

"Will you read it to me Eugene? Please," she asked. I looked at her. Rapunzel gave me a warm smile, her green eyes bore into mine. How could I say no to those eyes?

"Alright kid, take a seat," I said, putting down my book and taking hers. She sat down on the wooden ground, facing the ice crusted paneled window. I plopped down next to her, opening the book. I was reminded of being at the orphanage, reading to the younger kids just before the holidays while most of them were still there.

I took a breath and began. "'Twas the night before Christmas…"

"The end," I said shutting the book and looking at Rapunzel. She smiled at me. "That was cute. I liked it."

"Glad you did. I remember reading this to kids at the orphanage when I was little," I said, getting up and putting the book back in the bin. I turned back around to see Rapunzel looking at me with curiosity.

"Eugene…" she said getting up and walking towards me, "What…what was Christmas like at the orphanage?"

I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms. "Well it wasn't all sugar and candy canes, Blondie," I answered. She joined me at my wall, looking at me with both interest and concern.

I looked down at the ground and exhaled. "It was…tough. I mean, watching your friends get adopted right before Christmas. Spending it alone with the headmistress and a handful of other kids; thinking about all of the other kids unwrapping presents under a tree in a warm house while we got just a sock with a couple of pieces of candy in it. Some years were better than others, but we never got much. Our "Christmas feast" consisted of a small portion of chicken and bread. It wasn't awful; it just wasn't much to look forward to. Not much to believe in. You know?" I told her.

She looked at the floor, and then back at me. Her eyes filled with comfort. "Wow. Eugene I…"

I held up my hand, stopping her. "Hey, it's alright. Why don't we head back outside? I bet it's a lot more cheerful out there than in here," I offered, giving her a slight smile. She nodded and we turned to the door.

As soon as we opened it, the cold winter air blew into our faces. The exterior of the library was much less weighted than the inside, with the choir still singing their hearts out and the Santa ringing his bell for donations. Rapunzel seemed pretty removed as we walked towards the shops, but snapped back into reality when I nudged her arm.

"Huh? What?" she asked, looking at me. I pointed to a store window where a tree was being displayed. Her eyes brightened; she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the shop. The store displayed a wide variety of Christmas trees; tall ones, small ones, traditional ones and completely out of the ordinary ones. Rapunzel and I went about the entire store, admiring each and every one. Our favorite one was definitely the Corona tree. The dark green branches were hung with ornaments that resembled the lanterns that were released on Rapunzel's birthday last year, back when I was still Flynn Rider and she still had seventy feet of blond hair. The best part of the tree was the tree topper, which was the classic, bright yellow Corona sun. As we looked at it, we pulled each other closer, remembering what we almost lost on that day and everything we gained.

After we finished in the tree shop, we veered towards the carolers again. They had started another chorus of "Silent Night" and I looked at Rapunzel. She was singing the words quietly to herself and her voice sounded beautiful. Then, she jumped in. Singing with the rest of the carolers, her voice rang out with a soft tune. Suddenly, everyone else in the crowd started singing as well. I smiled; leave it to Rapunzel to make a crowd of people spontaneously burst out into song.

After she finished her set, Rapunzel and I decided that we should probably head back to the palace. The sun was starting to go down, but our day wasn't done yet. We lead Max and Aggie back on foot, trudging through several feet of snow. Rapunzel was quietly humming and smiling to herself. I couldn't resist. Reaching down, I picked up a handful of snow. Quickly compressing it into a snowball, I threw it at her. It hit her square in the back. She yelped in surprise and turned around, glaring at me. We had stopped, but the horses trotted away, most likely sensing that this was going to turn into an all-out snow-war.

Rapunzel gave me a competitive grin and reached down into the snow. "You're going down."

She quickly got up and chucked the chunk of snow at me. I ducked, grabbing another handful in the process. I threw it at her, hitting her in the stomach. She threw more snow at me; I dodged the first one but the second one pelted me in the neck. I shivered as the freezing water dripped down my back. As our snowball fight continued, the two horses stood off to the side, laughing at us. We went at it until the both of us were completely drenched and frozen to the bone.

After dropping off the horses at the stables and taking off our soaked coats, we sat in the lounge wrapped in blankets. Rapunzel sat on the edge of the couch, hot cocoa in her hands and Pascal curled up on her dripping wet hair. I had my arm around her, also sipping my hot cocoa. The lounge was as barren as it was yesterday, but the bin of decorations was sitting in the corner of the room, waiting to be opened.

Rapunzel started chattering excitedly. "That was so much fun Eugene. I can't  
>believe it has to end already."<p>

"Blondie, we have three more weeks until the Christmas season ends. Trust me, it's far from over," I told her.

Rapunzel got up from the couch, setting down her mug and removing the blankets from her shoulders and lap. She made her way over to the pine tree. "I still can't believe that they made those entire trees look so beautiful. I wonder how they did it."

"Do you want to try it Blondie?" I asked. She turned around and her eyes  
>widened. She nodded quickly and I got up, grabbing the box of decorations from the corner of the room. We spent the next hour decorating the tree. Rapunzel and I strung popcorn from the kitchen on a string (Pascal increased our work efforts by eating the popcorn we had already put on the wire). I tried to use the needle, but Rapunzel had to do it after I had pricked myself a good thirty times.<p>

After the popcorn garland had been strung around the tree, we needed to hang the ornaments. The place had very fancy gold and purple bulbs, but I grabbed a different one. The cook, who had a wife and three kids at home, agreed to lend me a spare box of ornaments he had at home. They were perfect. Glittered pine cones strung on red ribbons, hardened ginger bread men, and colored wood-woven bulbs where what remained in the bin, along with some cute handmade ornaments that his kids made. We took extra care in putting them on the tree, not wanting to return any broken.

The box had been cleared out; the only thing remaining being the star that was to be placed on top. Rapunzel pulled it out, eager to be the one to place it on top. However, she was about three feet too short. I assisted her, putting my hands on her waist and lifting her up onto my shoulder. As a smiling Pascal sat on the top of her head, Rapunzel reached out, placing the shining star on top of the tree. I pulled her down and we stood next to each other, admiring our work. The fire in the fireplace was illuminating the tree, creating a glow off of the glittering pine cones and the wooden ornaments that were rubbed with olive oil, creating a glassy shine off of them.

We stood side by side, admiring the festive display in front of us. She took my hand and placed her head on my shoulder. This moment was the happiest holiday memory I've ever had of Christmas. It gave me the sense that I had someone who loved me; a feeling I never had in my days of thievery. This naïve, stubborn, and courageous little princess is the person that I will love until the day I die.

And you can bet that nothing will ever change that.

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><p><strong>Just want to add a quick shout out to allison-nannyluverchannel for being my beta. I'm not the best with grammar and she helped me with the editing. Thanks again :) <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, sorry for the long wait. Holidays are so busy. Anyhow, I'm going to try to keep this as short as possible. I may come back and edit this chapter again, because I feel it needs editing. So, if you find any problems with it, let me know. See that button down there? The one that says "Review". Click it. That will be my Christmas present**.

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><p>The sunlight streamed in through my 2nd story bedroom window, shining in my eyes and waking me up. I sat up, blinking to get rid of the white spots in my vision, and looked at the clock on the wall. It was 9:30. Normally I didn't get up until about quarter past eleven, but Rapunzel and I were expected at some Royal Christmas Brunch. She was pretty excited, but I didn't have the heart to tell her that it probably would be just a bunch of stuck-up snobs talking about politics and "their new fine china". I just wanted to get it over with; hopefully this time without someone recognizing me and yelling for the guards. That was not a fun birthday for the Queen.<p>

I got out of bed and got dressed. As I was pulling on my boots, I heard someone screaming on the ground outside my bedroom window. I walked to the ice glazed glass and looked down at the palace grounds. A group of kids were sledding down the hills near the gardens. One kid with light brown hair was running at top speed off the hill with a wooden sled in his hands. He jumped, landing on top of the toboggan and speeding uncontrollably towards his group of friends. He knocked into them, sending every one of the kids to the ground in a domino effect. They laughed hysterically, and I smiled, looking at the brown haired boy. Despite the years it had been since I met him, this boy reminded me of someone I had seen a couple of Christmases ago.

* * *

><p>"Stop, thief!"<p>

I clutched my satchel as I sprinted through the snow covered streets of the village. The baker's voice vanished in the howling of the wind as I ran further away. Taking a sharp turn down the street that lead to the Church, I listened for sounds of footsteps. Concluding that I wasn't being pursued, I slowed to a walk. The cold December winds pierced through me; the temperature was below freezing and my three layers of coats didn't seem to be doing the trick. I pulled them closer to me as I trudged through the frozen streets; the only sounds were my feet crunching in the snow, and the cheers from holiday celebrations occurring in the warm houses on the boulevard.

Suddenly, the sound of the clash of metal made me freeze in my tracks. The only thought running through my head at the moment was me formulating a mediocre escape plan; I turned to face the sound. Instead of the kingdom guards I was expecting to see, I found the source of the sharp sound was standing on its tip-toes, rummaging through a pile of trash. A boy, no more than ten years old, stood in rags about twenty feet away from me. His dark auburn hair was wet and matted with snow, and his old shoes were well worn and tattered. He gave up a moment later and started walking away from the bin, the familiar look of pure hopelessness plastered on his face. That was look I carried with my whole childhood.

What I did next even surprised myself. I approached the poor kid and kneeled down so I could talk to him at his level. He has a flash of fear spread across his face, but he quickly erased it, replacing it with a look of false bravery, as if he was going to charge at me in a moment's notice. I resisted the urge to laugh, reaching into my satchel; I pulled out the warm loaf of bread that I snagged from the baker just ten minutes ago. He looked at it and even through the horrid winds I could hear his stomach growl.

"Want some bread kid?" I asked him. He nodded eagerly. "It might be a good idea if we got out of this freezing weather first, huh?" The boy thought for a moment, and then nodded. Placing the bread back in my bag, we took off down the streets.

We made our way to my hide out, which consisted of the alley between the Church and the flower shop. I normally spent nights here during the winter, because the Church got overheated and had to keep a door open, which was a decent source of heat. I never stayed here during the day though, too risky. Well, I already was at risk being in the village in general, but it was better than sleeping in the woods . As we sat down on the old wooden bench that lay near the Church door, I took out the loaf of bread. Ripping it in two, I gave a half to him. He took a mouthful, then another, then another; taking bites as if the food was about to run away from him.

"Chewing helps." I told him. He nodded, trying to slow down. "So, what's your name kid?"

"Jack," he said with his mouth full, "Jack Austin."

Swallowing, Jack turned to me. "Are you that guy whose picture the palace guards have pinned on all of the dart boards in the bar, or is it the one with the long pickle nose?" he asked sarcastically.

"Couldn't tell you, if I stepped a foot into one of those places Captain would have me on the noose quicker than I could say "Hi". Considering that, that was probably me."

"What did you do, rob a leather shop?" he asked me, eyebrows raised "Seem kinda fancy for a thief."

"Kid, I don't waste my time shopping, I grab what I can get."

"I don't know, your "man-purse" is kind of telling me otherwise."

"It's a satchel!"

"Right," he said, rolling his eyes. "Anyways, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping in the forest or something?"

"I can't sleep in the woods in the middle of winter; too cold." I told him.

"And here is any better, genius? Your picture seems to be pinned up around the entire kingdom. Doesn't seem like the best idea for Corona's most wanted criminal to be walking around down town window shopping."

"Well, I can't just walk into the royal castle and ask for a room, that's worse than walking into the bar. I might as well try to sleep at the bottom of the ocean for all the good it will do for me. Besides, I can get by just fine."

Jake laughed at this. "Yeah, by stealing food from a baker who can't walk ten feet without falling over? If that's the best you can do, then I am seriously worried for you."

We both laughed at that. Jack stopped and continued to stuff his face with the bread. I just couldn't put my finger on it, but something was different about this kid. Sure he was only about ten, but his sarcasm matched that of a teenager. Unlike most kids his age, who normally clutched their parent's hand for support, he seemed independent. Something about him reminded me of someone.

"Don't your parents know that you're out here?"

He finished his half of the loaf and looked at me. "What parents?" He then looked at the gray, slush cover ground. Then it dawned on me, of course he is so mature for his age; he's had to live off of himself his whole life. I may have left the orphanage when I was thirteen, but he was only ten. I could jump fences and outrun guards at thirteen, while Jack was starving and rummaging through the trash just twenty minutes ago. I still remember waking up, remembering that I had no one. I still do.

Jack must've noticed the way I was looking at him, because he turned right around and half shouted at me. "Don't you go on feeling sorry for me; I'm getting along just fine. Things may be rough now, but in a few years things are gonna change. I'm gonna do something that people will remember me by, like…Save a princess! Yeah, I'm gonna save the lost princess, and slay a dragon too! You just wait Flynn. There will be no more "Poor Jacks" around here. I'm gonna be a hero, and nobody is going to hold me back from that!"

We sat in silence for quite some time, listening to the soft voices of the Church choir drift out through the door. Their hymns were almost comforting to the two of us. We may not know where we would be able to drift off the following night. But, as my eyes started to close, I heard it. The bells on the top of the Church started ringing, telling us that it was midnight. I turned to Jack, only to find his head on my shoulder, sleeping soundly. Before blacking out myself, I told him:

"Merry Christmas Jack"

Consciousness greeted me way too early the next morning, but to avoid getting caught, I had to get moving. Before getting up, I heard a low mumble. Jack was still sleeping on my shoulder. After everything he had told me yesterday, I definitely couldn't leave him here. I searched my mind for a possible solution, only to come up with one. Despite the fact that I knew that he wasn't going to like it, I knew that it was the only way to keep him alive.

Running up the steps of the familiar wooden porch, I set him down. After pounding on the creaking door, I jumped into the bushes and watched. A woman, around her mid-50s with graying red hair, came through the door in her nightgown. Holding up a candle, she looked around, trying to find the source of the mysterious pounding. Giving up, she started to close the rickety door when Jack moaned loudly, still asleep. Finally looking down, the woman gasped.

"Donovan! Sara! Come here quick!" She called into the building for help while frantically looking around, searching for who dropped him off. That was the time I decided to split. While getting off of the property, I looked back to the doors once more. Three more people gathered on the porch, tending to a very confused looking Jack. As he was helped inside the orphanage, I took off running, forcing myself not to look back.

* * *

><p>As I stood at the window watching the kids, I almost didn't notice the knocking on my door, followed by an irritated "Come on Eugene." I opened the door, and in walked a very annoyed looking Rapunzel.<p>

"We were supposed to leave for the banquet twenty minutes ago. Were you taking forever fixing your hair again?"

"Cool it Blondie," motioning to the window "I was watching this."

Looking outside, she smiled, and then turned back to me. "We can play with them when we get back Eugene." She said, "Mom and Dad are already waiting outside in the carriage for us, and I don't want to add to the list of things my Great Aunt Maridith can go at us for. Along with you being a former thief and my "atrocious lack of etiquette", I'd rather not be hassled for punctuality today."

"Alright, let's go. I want to get there before Auntie Marie does." I grabbed my cloak off of the overly crowded dresser and followed her out the door. As we made our way to the front entrance, I stopped her under a doorway. She looked at me, confused.

"What is it?" Rapunzel asked me. In response, I pointed up. Hung on the doorframe was a small green plant that grew ripe red berries.

"Mistletoe," I replied, grinning at her. She rolled her eyes, stood on her tiptoes, and pecked me on the cheek.

"And that's all you're getting until we get back." Rapunzel told me with a smirk. As I was about to protest, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me through the front doors. We made our way across the grounds to our waiting carriage, arguing about the short lived moment of affection, when two high pitched screams came our way.

"Look out!" Turning around, Rapunzel and I only got a glimpse of the toboggan before it rammed into our legs, practically flipping us over as we fell to the ground.

It was a couple moments before we heard someone are, "Hey, are you okay? We're really sorry." In a high pitched voice. I opened my eyes to see a little girl and boy standing in front of us. We sat up, soaked from the cold snow and somewhat sore. Rapunzel looked at the little kids and stood up, taking the toboggan. I saw the little kids frown, afraid that she was confiscating their toy. Instead, Rapunzel turned around and broke out into a run. As she hit the top of the hill, she jumped; quickly throwing the sled underneath her. They hit the ground, taking off down the hill while she screamed, "Woah Whooo!"

The kids smiled, grabbing the second sled and following their new friend down the hill. I looked at the King and Queen. The Queen shrugged, and with that her and her husband climbed in the carriage and took off without us. I got up and grabbed the last sled to meet my girlfriend at the bottom of the hill.

Guess that Auntie Marie will just have to manage without us.

**Hope that was good. Please click button below. Don't be a Scrooge.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'll tell you right now; this is going to be a **_**long**_** chapter, and most likely broken into two parts. Probably because I have so much I want to cover. So, let's get started.**

**BTW. I don't own Tangled. Obviously if I did, I wouldn't be wasting my time doing this.**

Crunch Crunch Crunch

The horses trudged through the snow as my girlfriend and I sat in the carriage, not speaking at all. This had probably been the most silent ride Rapunzel and I have ever been on. Here I was, freezing cold and going God knows where while she sat looking out the window with a big grin on her face. The whole morning seemed to be going this way too. She woke me up with a quick "Good Morning", and demanded that I get dressed. In response to my request for an explanation, she told me, "We're going somewhere." Yup, something was going on alright.

Blondie's parents seemed to be in on it too. When we got to breakfast and sat down, I noticed Rapunzel look at her mom and the Queen winked at her. The whole meal was quiet, and the King and Queen kept looking at me and smiling. I mean, you try eating waffles while people are looking at you like that.

The carriage hit another bump on the cobblestone road, making us jump. I decided to try again,

"So, you're being very cryptic about this little excursion we're going on. Care to explain?"

"Nope," She said, not removing her eyes from the frosted trees outside the window.

"Come on!" I demanded.

"It's a surprise, Eugene. So, would you just wait until we get there and be quiet? Don't get mad at me yet."

"Alright, fine." I said, irritated. Then, something dawned on me. "Wait, what did you mean by _yet_?"

The carriage jolted to a stop, announcing our arrival. Rapunzel squealed with joy as she flung herself out the doors of the compartment. I followed close behind, only to freeze in my tracks when I looked up and saw where exactly we were. The ghostly familiar building sent shivers down my spine. It's chipping gray paint, dead brown bushes, and sodden wood exterior weren't hidden very well by the several feet of snow; in fact, the snow actually enhanced the eeriness of the structure. The muffled sounds of children's laughter did nothing for the dark feeling that erupted in the pit of my stomach. All it did was make me stand there with my mouth open in shock.

* * *

><p>There I sat in my drab blackened room, looking out my old cracked window at probably the last I'll see of Johnny. He was a good kid; always joking around and laughing. Never broke the rules, and could never take his nose out of a book. However, as the loving couple held his hands as they walked to his new home, it was apparent that he would not be returning. I sighed. Johnny was the last kid to be adopted before Christmas, which meant that yet again I would be spending the holiday alone with the headmistress; just like every other Christmas for the past four years.<p>

Standing up, the cold air pierced through me, leaving me shivering. Despite the cold, I needed to get outside, or at least out of this dreary old bedroom. I made my way out my door and down the stairs, listening to the intense creaking that occurred every time a foot pounded the steps. Making my way to the bottom of the stairs, I noticed her in the corner. Sitting at her desk, Miss Mason was hunched over a bunch of papers, scribbling words in her loopy cursive writing. Not wanting to disturb her, I grabbed my coat and tried to quietly exit. The door, however, protested with a loud squeak. This seemed to wake her up, as she turned to face me and was taken aback with surprise. I

"Oh! Sorry Eugene, I didn't notice you there." She said apologetically.

"It's okay. I'm just going to head outside for a while."

"Hold on," She reached in her tin savings can and pulled out about ten shillings. "Here, a little Christmas gift for you." I slowly walked to her, holding out my hands. She dropped the cold coins in my hands and smiled at me. I simply looked at them. I'd never had this much before. Not just of money but of anything. All of my clothes belonged to Donovan, an eighteen year old who volunteered here once and a while. I just stood there, looking at the metal currency in my palms when I was brought back to reality, looking back at Miss Mason.

"Thank you." I told her, pocketing the change.

"Don't mention it." She told me, smiling," And don't get into too much trouble out there."

"I'll try." She laughed and rolled her eyes at me. I walked across the room and opened the door, letting the freezing air blow into my face. As I carefully made my way across the icy grounds, I heard the coins jingling in my pocket. The biggest question was what to spend it on. I obviously wasn't going to waste it, I mean candy and treats may be hard to come by, but they're gone so quickly. I need something that will last; that I'll still have in the future.

Walking into town, the last minute holiday shoppers were scattered about the village. There were only a few groups of them, but most of the shops were practically sold out. Going passed the large crowd that was crowding a newly stocked shop; I turned to a shabby looking stand. The old woman standing behind the counter smiled at me. Not wanting to be rude, I returned it, and turned my attention to the leather bag sitting on one of the small shelves. It was a bit worn, but could easily be fixed with some patches. Taking notice in my interest, the woman spoke to me very quickly in what I was guessing to be French, but her voice was so soft I couldn't tell.

"Voulez-vous acheter ce cher sac? C'est très bon marché, seulement sept euros ! " she told me. I nodded, not quite understanding what the heck she was talking about. Considering she was motioning to the brown satchel, I put my money on the counter and replied with a vague "Eh, Oui?"

Looking delighted, she took my money, leaving me with three shillings, and told me, "Merci, Merci. Joyeux Noël ! " and waved me good bye. Not knowing how to respond, I nodded, throwing the strap of the bag over my shoulder. As I trudged off, I heard some rattling in the bag. Stopping in the middle of the stone streets, I opened the flap to reveal an old water tin, a stick of flint, and…Wait, is that what I think it was? I reached into the bag, grabbing the cold handle of what appeared to be a dagger. 'I should return this to the old woman.' I thought to myself 'She probably didn't realize what she had in there.

I looked around, trying to find the kind woman, but she was nowhere in sight. The cold December air swept through everyone in the square, chilling them to the bone. Shivering, my feet carried me to a nearby stand. The bearded man selling the hot chocolate tipped his hat to me, and I laid my change down. Handing me a cup of the warm beverage, he took my money and wished me a happy holidays. As I walked away, I looked behind me once more. He was still there, and gave me a brief wave before turning back to the young child who was counting out her shillings. I automatically scolded myself for breaking my own rule. However, as I took a sip of my hot chocolate, that all flew out of my head. The sweet, syrupy substance warmed me from head to toe in a moment's notice. This delight was a privilege that was scarce where I came from, for a simple cup for each child during the winter months costs nearly as much as the clothes on our back. The orphanage was funded by donation, so us kids were given only the necessaries.

"Eugene," I heard behind me. I turned around to see Donovan coming towards me with his girlfriend Sara. He worked at the local stables, and was probably here on break to visit Sara. Stopping in front of me, he handed me a book. "You left this here after your last riding lesson."

"Thanks Don," I said, putting The Tales of Flynnigan Rider in my bag.

"Fancy new purse you have there Fitzherbert." He told me with a laugh. Sara elbowed him in the ribs, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not the one who works with pretty ponies for a living, Don." I retorted. Don and I had a tendency to get in these kinds of back and forth arguments. That was pretty much our relationship, insulting each other. Sara was always trying to keep us in check. Never worked, but she tried.

"So Eugene how was the hot chocolate?" She asked me in her sweet voice.

Almost on cue, I lifted the cup up to my lips and drained it of its chocolaty syrup. "Gone," I replied. Sara laughed at me. "Where are you guys headed to?" I asked, wiping my mouth.

"Sara has to head to the Church in a few minutes, so we were just…"

"Making her late?" I asked.

Don rolled his eyes. "Finishing up some holiday shopping, how about you?"

"Miss Mason gave me some money as a present, so I was just window shopping. Did you here that Johnny got adopted today?"

"Really? That's great!" They said in unison. Looking at each other, they both laughed. They made each other really happy. They were just standing there, looking in each other's eyes. I didn't get it. Their moment was broken by the ringing of the church bells, signifying a change in the hour. Sara looked concerned.

"I'm going to be late for mass. Father wants me to help out with service. Sorry Eugene," she told me. I understood. Sara was the priest's daughter so since Christmas mass was so big, they needed to set up extra chairs.

"Yeah, and I should probably get back to the stables. Danika gave birth to a pony this afternoon so I need to go look after it. Bye Eugene." Don said, walking away with his girlfriend. Before exiting the square, he turned around and yelled to me, "Oh, and Merry Christmas."

I gave him a wave and shouted back, "You too." I looked at the sun, which was beginning to disappear behind the trees. I started to head back, knowing that Miss Mason was going to be angry if I came back after dark. As I walked back on the cobblestone path, I heard shutters closing. The streets were probably being vacated as well, what with it being Christmas Eve and all.

I separated from the village, and the forest thickened, as it usually did when I walked to the orphanage. Who knows, maybe I'll get a fire going and play chess with the headmistress when I get back? But, as I drew further into the brush, I heard rustling in the nearby bushes. I stopped and looked around. The only things I saw were the trees growing around the path and the moon beginning to shine above the trees. I started walking again, faster, but before I got very far, I was pushed against a tree and a knife was pressed against my throat.

"What's in the bag?" A red headed kid around two years older than me demanded. I spotted an identically large kid behind him with the same appearance, probably his twin. His breath was foul and his body odor was even worse.

"Hopefully some mouthwash, kid." I told him, bluntly. Now was probably not the time to run my mouth.

"WHY YOU LITTLE…" He raised him knife to strike me when I kicked him in the stomach. Taking the window of opportunity, I escaped his grasp and sprinted into the forest. The thick branches hit my face and tore my cloths as I wove through its growth. I heard footsteps behind me and remembered that he had a brother. Pulling the dagger out of my bag, I faced my pursuer, who had withdrawn his own weapon. As he brought down his sword, I held my own firmly and stopped it. He struck again harder and knocked the dagger from my hands. I sideswiped his feet, knocking him to the ground. However, as I was about to take off running again, someone grabbed my shoulders and threw me to the ground. Settling on my elbows, I looked up to see a sword hovering a mere three feet from my face. One lunge and I was a goner.

"Not so funny now, are you twerp?" He asked, threateningly. His brother who pursued me with the knife stood up, rubbing his shoulder, and tapped his brother. He turned around as his brother whispered to him, but still kept his eyes on me. I was looking around for a way out of this situation when I was stood up by mouthwash boy's brother. He pinned my arms behind my back as I struggled and the kid with the sword that was still fixated on my face started talking.

"We are offering you a deal." He told me. "Come work with us and we'll let you live."

"And why should I?" I asked, still struggling to break free. This guy was too strong.

"It's your head." He told me. I glared at him. "We may be strong, but running and agility aren't our best suites. You may be quick, but Brutus over there could snap both of your arms like toothpicks." He twisted my arms painfully as if to prove his brother's point. "We could get a lot more gold if we had someone to slip into tight spaces."

I looked around for a way out, but the only thing I spotted was my tattered copy of The Tales of Flynnigan Rider that lay fallen out of my bag. I stopped, and for some reason, just stared at the book. Flynnigan had something to live for. He had money, adventure, and what did I have, a few school books and the clothes on my back. No parents, a shabby little bedroom, and friends that I only knew for about a year. They always left. Always. Flynnigan didn't need any friends, he had a life full of adventure, he met new people all of the time. My life was the same every day.

I looked up at the kid standing in front of me. Despite the horrible smell, and the attitude that keeps saying that I'm about to be punched, this kid and his brother could be my way out of this simple life and into one of adventure, like Flynnigan Rider's. Sure, I am probably going to ditch them. But, then again, that means they can't leave. I mean, my whole life has been of people leaving me. I guess it would just be easier to be alone.

I looked him dead in the eye and told him, "Are you going to tell your brother to heel so we can get out of here?" He grinned at me, and then nodded to his brother, who released my sore arms. I bent down, pushing all of my stuff into my bag.

"What's your name kid?" He asked, punching my arm.

"Flynn Rider," I said without hesitation. What kind of thief has the name 'Eugene Fitzherbert' anyways? I stood up."And yours?"

"I'm Gale, that's Brutus." He said, pointing to him and his brother. "Let's beat it. Someone probably heard us fighting."

Gale and Brutus started towards the woods when I heard it. "Eugene? Eugene where are you?" My hands clenched into fists as I turned. In the distance, I saw a very distressed Miss Mason on the porch of the orphanage. As she kept yelling, her cries became more and more desperate. Then, I saw Donovan and Sara ride up on a horse. Donovan jumped off and told Miss Mason something, which I was too far away to hear. She let out a shriek and sank her face into his chest as Don wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. Sara jumped off, also sobbing. Donovan grabbed her and pulled her into the hug, literally holding the two of them together.

As I watched the three broken souls, I heard a deep voice calling to me. "Rider," Gale and Brutus had stopped near the bushes. "Rider, come on, something up?" Gale sounded impatient rather than sincere. With my head hung low and tears pushing at my eyes, I replied faintly, "No. Let's go." and followed them into the forest. The Church bell rang as we disappeared into the forest.

**Okay, the chapter will be continued tomorrow. I need sleep.**


	4. Author's Note

**Hey guys, Anna here**

**So, as you can tell, I've been on hiatus from this story for quite a while. Well, be rest assured, I am intending on finishing it. The question, however, is "When?"**

**I've been concerned lately that considering this is a holiday story, that it may not be completely appropriate to update this story now, more so, I was going to write my plans out and finish the story next holiday season, say mid November. **

**I wanted to make sure all of you are aware I am doing this. I would suggest not taking this off of alert, for the alert will come in handy in November.**

**AND I WILL START EARLIER NEXT TIME, PROMISE.**

**I would like to know you are okay with this. If not, drop me a message and let me know. If you are, then keep your eyes open. **

**Thank you so much for the comments and favorites. And, I am currently working on a one-shot before I start my next big project. Thanks again, -Anna**


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